Plantains are available at many supermarkets. I always find them at Stop and Shop near me in Westchester, NY, usually near the bananas in the produce section. They generally have ripe (yellow-black) and unripe (green) ones. You want the yellow/black ones for this recipe.
Ingredients
3 ripe plantains
vegetable oil
Instructions
Place frying pan over medium heat on stovetop
Cut off ends of plantains, make a long slice,top to bottom through the skin, to help peel it off (it's a little tougher than a banana so you can't just rip off the skin)
Slice the plantains diagonally into ¼ inch thick, long pieces
Add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan
When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium-low (you don't want the plantains to burn, rather caramelize slowly)
Add the plantains in batches, do not overcrowd the pan
Once the first side is caramelized (similar color in picture above), turn over and caramelize on the other side
Remove and set on a plate with a couple of paper towels to absorb the oil
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe by Jackie Ourman at http://jackieourman.com/sweet-fried-plantains-platanos-maduros/